InfraRed thermometers have often amazed me by their sheer gun-like design and the inbuilt laser beams. A very fast version of thermometers, IR thermometer is a very quick fix solution to detect the temperature of a place distant from you. Though the accuracy varies due to environment conditions and usage methods, I always recommend preferring IR thermometer over the other ones. Yeah, using them can be a problem, especially to beginners, but once you learn to use it, it’s a very effective gadget. Last week when I suggested the same to my wife, she wouldn’t agree.
That is when I took time for her and found that we in general are so much misinformed about IR Thermometers. And it is common psychology for people to avoid or even hate using products they will know little about. We decided to check on these prevalent myths and here’s what you will definitely want to know:
The Laser is a temperature-reader:
Nope! Far from reading the temperature, the laser beam is only a pointer that you use to adjust the location whose temperature is to be determined. So as to retain your aim and ensuring that you get the temperature of the exact location, the laser beam keeps the temperature calculation error-free and instantaneous.
IR Thermometer can be used to determine internal temperature.
Really? Since when? Since IR Thermometers work on principles of optical physics, it is but obvious that only the surface temperature (and just slightly deeper than that, if you got a good thermometer such as Fluke 59 Mini Infrared Thermometer) can be recorded. Based on factors like the optical range and surrounding temperature, the best thermometers can only give you a rough idea about the internal temperature.
IR Thermometer works equally well for all surfaces
Another myth! Since we know that different surfaces have different structure and thus will have quite different emissivity. More the emissivity of an object, more its capacity to absorb infrared energy and thus less its tendency to radiate that of its own. It can thus never happen that any Infrared Thermometer, not even Fluke 568 Infrared Thermometer (Temp Range -40C to 800C, Thermopile 8-14m), can detect temperature with similar accuracy for all materials.
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